Supplement seat for dental chairs



c. w. JoHNsoN E1' An.

SUPPLEMENT SEAT Fox DENTAL, CHAIRS June 22, 1954 256381,69()

Filed Feb. 9e, 1952 June 22 1954 c. w. JOHNSON Erm. 2,681,690

SUPPLEMENT SEAT FOR DENTAL YCHAIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1952 Ine/enfans 670270Z? tfofason Patented June 22, 1954 SUPPLEMENT SEAT FOR DENTAL CHAIRS Carroll W. Johnson, Chicago, and John T. Clark, Cicero, Ill.; said Clark assignor to said Johnson Application February 6, 1952, Serial No. 270,184

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in operator supports for use with chairs in which a person is seated. More specifically, this invention relates to a support embodying a supplemental seat for use with a dental chair, barber chair or the like.

As is well known, a dentist or barber or other person performing work on a subject seated in a chair should be provided with a support so that such person may perform his work without requiring him to spend long hours in a standing position. In providing a support on which such a person may be seated while performing his work, it is desirable that the support be given a widely varying range of movement with respect to the chair. It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a supplemental seat which has a plurality of ranges of movement.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a supplemental seat for a chair which may be readily moved by the person occupying the supplemental seat with a minimum of eiiort.

Another object is to provide an improved means for adjusting a supplemental seat toward and away from the dental or other chair with which the supplemental seat is employed.

A. further object of this invention is to provide a supplemental seat which may be adjusted radially with respect to the supporting connection between the dental or other chairs and the supplemental seat.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings,

` wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the supplemental seat and its supporting structure with relation to the primary seat or chair with which it is used;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the supplemental seat shown in Figure `1, taken on line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the supplemental seat shown in Figure 2, taken along line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 shows an element of the seat support shown in Figures 1 through 3 with one end cut away;

Figure 5 shows a plan view of another element of the seat support;

Figure 6 shows an elevational view of one of the supplemental seat support members;

Figure '7 shows a sectional view of an adjustable feature of the supplemental seat support, taken along lines 1 1 of Figure 2.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the speciiication and drawings. i

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 2 indicates an annular supporting base for a dental 2 chair or the like. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the base 2 is a conventional support for chairs in which a subject or patient is seated.

A supporting base plate 4 for the supplemental seat is adapted to be inserted between the chair base 2 and the iloor F of a room in which the chair is mounted. The base plate 4 is preferably formed with an arcuate end portion B which extends outwardly from the base 2 of the chair. Base plate 4 may be inserted at any convenient position around the periphery of the chair base 2.

A supplemental seat supporting member, indicated generally at 8, is pivotally mounted on the base plate 6. This pivotal mount may take the form of an upstanding pintle lil received within a hub l2 of the supplemental seat support. It will be seen that the support B includes an elongated portion I4 forming an arch, with one end terminating in the hub l2 and the other end terminating in an outer supporting portion E6. The supplemental seat support, including the elongated portion i4, provides, in effect, a radius arm structure for movement about the pivot I0. The supplemental seat supporting member 8 is provided with suitable antifriction means for supporting the outer end I6 of the support. The antifriction means may take the form of rollers i8 suitably journalled for rotating movement in a cut-away portion 20 of the seat support.

A control box 22 is mounted on the supplemental seat supporting structure as by means of a pivot member 24 and may be swung back and forth under the portion I4. As shown, the pivotal connection between the control box and the supplemental seat support takes the form of a bolt having a portion 26 in threaded engagement with the seat support. A spring 28 is disposed between the control box and the head of the bolt 3!) to maintain the control box in a de sired vertical position. The control box 22 includes members 34 and 36 which are adapted to control various mechanisms that the person using the supplemental seat may desire to einploy, such as dental tools. A roller 32 is adapted to support the outer end of the control box on floor F.

A seat 38 is mounted upon the seat support 8 in a manner to be described. The seat 38, as shown, is circular in shape and is provided with customary upholstery padding 40.

A connection, indicated generally at 42, providing for pivotal movement and sliding movement of the seat 38 with respect to the support 8, is employed between the seat 38 and the support 8. In the preferred form of the invention, this connection includes a carriage 44 mounted for sliding movement upon an upstanding rod 4B on the support 8. As will be seen in Figure 2,

the carriage or housing 44 has a length generally equal to the diameter of the seat 38.

IThe seat 38 is pivotally mounted upon a member 48 rising from the carriage. The pivotal connection between the upstanding member 48 and the seat 38 includes an annular collar 58 abutting against a shoulder 52 on the upstanding member for rotation with respect thereto. Suitable means, such as rivets or screws 54, are employed to fix the seat with respect to the annular collar. A bolt 5t may be threadably received within the .member 48 and have its head portion 58 adapted to overlie the annular collar and, thus, hoid the seat 38 against removal from the upstanding member 48. y

The carriage 4d preferably is in the form oi a channel member having bottom portions 88 turned in from the side portions 52. Fixed at the top of the upstanding support rod 45 is a roller supporting member 64. The roiier supporting member 64 may be xed to the upstanding rod it by any suitable means, such as a depending sleeve 68 and a pin 58. Longitudinally spaced pairs of rollers 'l0 are journalled at opposite endsror the member 64 and are adapted for rolling Contact with either the top of the carriage 'E2 or the inturned ends 80. It will be understood that the carriage lili is provided with closed ends 'i4 which confine the movement of the carriage with respect to the rollers to the length of the carriage. It will be understood here that the rolling contact of the rollers with the carriage provides a convenient adjustment toward and away from a person seated in the dental or barber chair. 'A person employing the supplemental seat 38 may adjust his position with respect to a patient or person seated in the chair by merely thrusting his feet against the floor F.

An adjustable connection is provided between an upstanding portion l5 of the support 8 and the upstanding rod 48. This adjustable connection, as shown, employs a spring-biased pin i8 adapted for engagement with a plurality of apertures 89 aligned longitudinally of the support rod 45. The spring-biased pin 'i8 is provided with a handle 82 and is mounted in a housing 84 on the upstanding portion l5. An operator of the suppiemental seat 38 may thus adjust the seat 38 to any desired height by inserting pin 'i8 in any aperture 80.

t will be realized that, whereas a practical and operative device is herein described and illustrated, nevertheless many changes in size, shape, number and disposition of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and intent of i the invention. It is, therefore, wished that the description and showing herein be taken as in a broad sense, illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as a limitation to the precise showing here- The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

The base plate i of the supplemental seat support may be placed at any convenient position around the periphery ofthe chair baseZ. The operator employing the supplemental seat 38 has the advantage of a plurality of ranges of movement with respect to the chair. The entire support shown has one range of movement about the periphery of the chair base 2. The supplemental seat supporting structure 8,Y which constitutes,

in eiiect, a radius arm structure for swinging movement about pivot i8, provides one of these ranges. While seatedV on the seat 3 8, avr person mayswing aboutthe pivot t0 Vto anypositionon the arc of movement defined by the distance between the pivot lli and the seat 38. At any position along this arc of movement, the operator can increase or diminish the radial distance between the pivot l0 and the seat 38 by merely thrusting his eet against the floor and sliding carriage 44 back and forth along the rollers l, thereby providing a range of movement with respect to pivot l0 and support 8. At any of these radial positions with respect to pivot I0, the operator can swing himself on the seat pivot 48 and Athus face in any desired position with respect to the person seated in the chair, providing a circular range of movement with respect to carriage 44. Y

We claim: Y

l. In a supplemental seat and support for a dental chair, a base insertable beneath the base or" said dental chair, a radius arm structure mounted for rotation on said base about a predetermined axis, an upstanding support member formed at one end of said arm structure and spaced away from said axis, anti'iriction means carried by said radius arm structure and spaced from said axis, a plurality of roller elements mounted at the upper end of said support member, a generally elongated housing receiving said roller members and slidable on said roller members, the upper portionof said housing having a pivot member formed thereon and an operatorsupporting seat mounted on said pivot member to thereby allow movement of said seat and said housing in a linear direction while allowing rotation of said seat with relation to said housing.

2. In a supplemental seat and support for a dental chair, a base insertable beneath the base of said dental chair, a radius arm structure mounted for rotation on said base about a predetermined axis, an upstanding support member formed at one end of said arm structure and spaced away from said axis, antifriction means carried by said radius arm structure and spaced from said axis, a plurality of roller elements 'mounted at the upper end of said support memher, a generally elongated housing receiving said roller members and slidable on said roller members, theupper portion of V'said housing having a pivot member formed thereon, and an operatorsupporting seat mounted on said pivot member, the diameter of said operator-supporting seat 1ceing on the order oi the' length of said housing, said seat and pivot being positioned generally centrally of said housing to thereby overlie said housing at each extended position of said housing with respect to said roller elements.

3. In a supplementall seat and support as re- References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,440,644 Powell z Apr. 27, 1948 2,498,550 :Johnson V Feb. 21, 1950 2,553,545

Boothg...V May22, 1951 

